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(09-15-2015, 11:04 AM)Markster Wrote: I don't think I've ever had to leave the North parking lot due to it being full. Worst case, I had to park in a less desirable spot. The South lot has always had space, if I didn't want to chance it.

The North parking lot is often full in the evenings. As best as I can tell Taco Farm, Abe Erb, Famoso and Beertown are responsible for this. Availability of parking seems to have dropped when each of these establishments opened reaching zero availability with the Abe Erb opening.

Part of this is being in the know, which could be better communicated by the city. The Waterloo Public Library and the Marsland Center parking are both free to use after 6, and are closer to these demand-drivers for the dinner crowd than much of the north lot, and all of the south lot. They are never full at these hours.

(09-15-2015, 01:35 PM)BuildingScout Wrote: Availability of parking seems to have dropped when each of these establishments opened reaching zero availability with the Abe Erb opening.

By the way, not that I'm complaining. Quite to the contrary, I think it is great that Uptown is so lively. Moreover once we have LRT running I can see myself taking it there to save on the need for a designated driver.

(09-15-2015, 01:35 PM)BuildingScout Wrote: The North parking lot is often full in the evenings. As best as I can tell Taco Farm, Abe Erb, Famoso and Beertown are responsible for this. Availability of parking seems to have dropped when each of these establishments opened reaching zero availability with the Abe Erb opening.

It's also a bit absurd that the Uptown Parkade costs money on evenings and in the weekends, as a result seeing pretty low utilization at that same time.

(09-15-2015, 08:46 PM)mpd618 Wrote: It's also a bit absurd that the Uptown Parkade costs money on evenings and in the weekends, as a result seeing pretty low utilization at that same time.

I agree. Same goes for the underground parking at Kitchener city hall and the Benton parking garage. They are ridiculously expensive after hours. Last time KCH was free, so maybe things changed lately, but more than once I can recall paying a hefty amount for a spot in an empty garage. This is a disincentive to go downtown.

(09-15-2015, 08:46 PM)mpd618 Wrote: It's also a bit absurd that the Uptown Parkade costs money on evenings and in the weekends, as a result seeing pretty low utilization at that same time.

I agree. Same goes for the underground parking at Kitchener city hall and the Benton parking garage. They are ridiculously expensive after hours. Last time KCH was free, so maybe things changed lately, but more than once I can recall paying a hefty amount for a spot in an empty garage. This is a disincentive to go downtown.

I don't have an issue with it being paid parking in any of those lots, but it should be a sliding scale based on how full it is.

Is there such a thing as real time parking garages? That have the price changed based on how full or empty it is?

(09-15-2015, 08:57 AM)tomh009 Wrote: If you repeat it often enough, maybe it will become an Internet meme?

While parking matters, especially for suburban malls, I think this is a gross oversimplification.

Okay. Walk through the downtown malls. Compare to suburban malls. Enjoy a vape. Nothing but 1 subsidized anchor in Market Square, a headshop, and a nail shop there.

If people can't go easily there, it ain't happening. Compare anchor tenants at Boardwalk, Market Square and Uptown mall. CIGI has been trying to rent for 6 months, no dice. Ask the Farmer's Market effort downtown in Kitchener.

Downtown malls have long tried to beat suburban malls at their own game. Tends to not work that well.

(09-16-2015, 05:57 AM)Spokes Wrote: I don't have an issue with it being paid parking in any of those lots, but it should be a sliding scale based on how full it is.

Is there such a thing as real time parking garages? That have the price changed based on how full or empty it is?

Haven't heard of automated real time parking garages; certainly lots in cities where there are events will jack up the prices when the events are happening. I think that's usually manual. In the absence of events it's usually fairly easy to predict a couple of weeks in advance what the occupancy is going to be like. Also, I believe that SF has real-time dynamic street parking pricing.

(09-15-2015, 08:46 PM)mpd618 Wrote: It's also a bit absurd that the Uptown Parkade costs money on evenings and in the weekends, as a result seeing pretty low utilization at that same time.

I agree. Same goes for the underground parking at Kitchener city hall and the Benton parking garage. They are ridiculously expensive after hours. Last time KCH was free, so maybe things changed lately, but more than once I can recall paying a hefty amount for a spot in an empty garage. This is a disincentive to go downtown.

(09-16-2015, 06:09 AM)plam Wrote: Downtown malls have long tried to beat suburban malls at their own game. Tends to not work that well.

Exactly. It's ridiculous to compare Market Square to The Boardwalk. The latter is brand-new green field development; the former is pushing forty years old, in a dense urban area with all of the costs that comes with that when space needs to be reconfigured for new tenants- and everything else.

Part of suburban malls' business model is to externalize the costs of parking so it seems "free" to their patrons who drive. Inner-city malls can't really do that, given that their parking is in very costly parking structures. They need to find some other way to compete. I think they can, but they won't be able to beat suburban malls at their own game, as I think you very aptly say, plam.

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